Korea's tourism-boosting plan announced by Culture Ministry

In 2023, some 11 million tourists came to Korea, a 63 percent recovery from the pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels of 2019, during which there were 17.5 million visitors.

The streets of Myeong-dong in Jung District, central Seoul, are bustling during the 2024 Korea Grand Sale, one of the country's major shopping and tourism festivals, on Jan. 11. The event is part of the government's ongoing Visit Korea Year campaign. [YONHAP]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) aim to bring 20 million visitors to Korea this year.

On Friday, the Culture Ministry announced its large-scale marketing plans to achieve the feat.

In 2023, some 11 million tourists came to Korea, a 63 percent recovery from the pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels of 2019, during which there were 17.5 million visitors.

Visitors from Japan and countries in Southeast Asia saw a recovery rate of over 70 percent each, while visitors from the United States, Singapore, Australia, Germany and France exceeded that of 2019.

With tourists surging and the global popularity of Korean culture booming more than ever before, it’s the Culture Ministry’s goal to promote the tourism that is “exclusive” to Korea.

One of the projects, which translates to the “Korea Tourism Mega Roadshow,” will be held in 25 major cities across the globe. Programs in the roadshow include B2C hands-on programs related to Korean culture, tourist packages, B2B conferences and media PR.

A map showing the locations of this year's Korea Tourism Mega Roadshow in yellow, the Korea Tourism Organization's branches in blue, and 10 cities that will establish new PR branches in black. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Last year, the roadshow was held in 15 cities including Tokyo, New York, Bangkok, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

The roadshow this year will kick off in Jakarta next month and move on to Tokyo, Fukuoka and Osaka in March. From March to May, it will be held in Shanghai and Guangzhou. It will visit Hanoi in May, Paris in June, Ulaanbaatar in August, Manila in September and New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta in October.

Another project will see the Culture Ministry launching customized marketing content in 32 cities in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, by analyzing the core customer base according to various factors like age, sex and interests.

For example, Japan and China are referred to as the “mature market” in that they have the most number of tourists in Korea, totaling 5.7 million in 2023. The target audience is women in their 20s and 30s and tourists with a specific purpose, like education or e-sports. The Culture Ministry will increase lifestyle content and promote rural tourism for these tourists.

One in two Southeast Asian visitors visited Korea with a family member in 2019, so K-pop content and family tourist packages will be targeted toward them. Around 2.67 million such visitors came to Korea in 2023.

Data showing the top 10 markets overseas that contribute to tourism in Korea. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

The Americas and Europe are a “rising market” in Korean tourism, with 2.62 million visitors last year. They were summed up as tourists who made extended stays in Korea, Asian immigrants and those over the age of 50. Considering that their long stays lead to touring numerous cities, the Culture Ministry will collaborate with other tourist agencies in nearby countries like Japan, and curate temple stay or hiking programs for the older generations.

Finally, the Middle East turned out to be the biggest spenders, despite having the least number of visitors with 31,000 last year. Luxury tourism packages made hand in hand with department stores, hotels and restaurants will be targeted toward them.

New PR offices will also be established in 10 nations, including Sweden, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, which currently do not have any KTO branches, yet are deemed as potential markets in seeing more tourists to Korea.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]